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I put the vial against the white part of the color chart and read it in a well lit room. I've never had a problem reading the ammonia or nitrite tests, yellow and blue are pretty definite, the nitrate can be a bit tricky though.

When I go fishing I just place a sharp rock in the water and sit there waiting for all the dead fish to float to the top... KingfisherBrutal honesty will be shown on this screen.I think my fish is adjusting well to the four gallon, He's laying on his side attempting to go to sleep on the bottom of the gravel.Tolerance is a great thing to have, so is the ability to shut up.I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.

I put the vial against the white part of the color chart and read it in a well lit room. I've never had a problem reading the ammonia or nitrite tests, yellow and blue are pretty definite, the nitrate can be a bit tricky though.

Do you actually hold the tube directly onto the card or hold it a little bit raised?

Depending on if I hold it on or raise it I get a completely different results. Nitrate in particular, if raised a fraction away from the card I get 20~40. If pressed on it goes the most menacing shade of scarlet which would be indicative of 80~100.

I've taken to not holding the vial near the card as I just can't work out how close it should be...

Do you actually hold the tube directly onto the card or hold it a little bit raised?

I hold the vials directly on the card, like I said, yellow is yellow and blue is blue, any hint of green or purple, no matter how light, water changes are needed. My nitrates stay below 20ppm and I don't have issues with that color card until the 40ppm color on the chart. All of my tanks have been fully cycled for at least a year or more, so I really don't have issues with parameters.

When I go fishing I just place a sharp rock in the water and sit there waiting for all the dead fish to float to the top... KingfisherBrutal honesty will be shown on this screen.I think my fish is adjusting well to the four gallon, He's laying on his side attempting to go to sleep on the bottom of the gravel.Tolerance is a great thing to have, so is the ability to shut up.I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.

The type of lighting is likely less important than using a consistent source. Pick a room or a corner of a room or whatever and do it there.. Always.

I check mine in my bathroom because that's where I dump/clean the test tubes.

Gas mileage isn't everythingOIIIIIIIOLack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.Why pretend there are no stupid questions? Actually, There are many stupid questions: "Should I drink this bleach?" Is just one example.
Having said that, Just because it's a stupid question doesn't mean that it shouldn't be asked. It's better to know.A warm beer is better than a cold beer. Because nothing is better than a cold beer, and a warm beer is better than nothing.

Someday someone will come up with a better testing method especially for us partially colorblind folks..if I didn't have others around to check colors I'd be in trouble.

Something like a sensor that can simply be put into the water and give a digital reading of water parameters~I'd pay a few hundred bucks for something like this.

They have electronic testers.

I hold my vials against the card under the T5 lights that are on my tank.

Liters to Gallons conversion calculator
"Keeping fish for any period of time doesn't make you experienced if you're doing it wrong. What does, is acknowledging those mistakes and learning from them." ~Aeonflame
"your argument is invalid." ~Mommy1